Know Before You Go!

The latest article from Sharon K Couzens de Hinojosa of the TEFL Tips website

Know Before You Go: Requirements

Many places will require you to be a native speaker, though more and more are accepting non-native speakers. You will usually be required to have at least a BA. Other places will require teaching experience. A TEFL Certificate is useful, but a BA is preferred. International schools require QTS (Qualified Teaching Status) in your home country and usually two years teaching experience in a primary or secondary school.

TEFL Training Programmes

You can either study online or on-site. Remember that TEFL programmes should include at least 100 hours with 6 hours of teaching students. If you do a distance programme, make sure that a practical teaching element is included.

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Free online courses

The Peace Corps has come up with a Guide to teaching English. You could also try TEFL Boot Camp.

The following courses require a fee in order to participate

English International
TEFL training
INTESOL International
TESOL Direct
The International TEFL Corporation
I-to-I
ACTDEC

On-Site Programmes

There are quite a few TEFL Training Programmes in Latin America. Try searching at TEFL Certification Abroad to find one that suites you.

Salaries

Some schools may offer you room, board, and a small stipend in exchange for teaching. Others pay you a salary, usually between$ 500 and 1000 USD a month. Although this may seem like a low salary, costs of living are much lower than in the those in English speaking countries, so you can easily survive on a teacher’s salary.

Number of Hours

Many institutes and universities will have you work split shifts meaning that you’ll get a break in the middle of the day to eat lunch and relax for a few hours. Sometimes classes finish at 9pm, or even as late as 10pm. Although at first it seems difficult, you will get used to it and can use the time in the afternoon to take a nap or run errands. Remember that you will usually only be teaching 20-30 hours a week, and then the rest of the time is prep time. If you manage your time well, you will have plenty of time to teach private lessons.

Private Lessons

There are plenty of opportunites to pick up private students. Try advertising at schools, universities, or try putting an advert in the local paper. Teachers usually charge between $5 and 20 USD an hour. You can also teach online, see Tips of the Trade for more info.

What to Wear

Smart casual is usually the rule here. Some places require you to wear a uniform, other say that men have to wear ties and women must wear appropriate clothing. Men should wear dress pants and a dress shirt. Some places require you to wear a tie as well. Women should wear nice pants or a skirt with a blouse. Jeans are usually not accepted and piercings and tattoos should be hidden. Depending on where you are, you may be allowed to wear sandals. The best thing to do is ask about the dress code.

Start-up Costs

As usual, when moving to a new place, you should bring money to tide you over before you get paid. 1000- 2000 USD should be more than enough.

Making Contact

Although many places want to meet you before having you sign a contract, it is possible to set up jobs before you arrive. The best thing to do is start contacting schools and let them know you are interested in working for them. Tell them when you will arrive and try to set up an interview.

CV Tips

In Latin America there is a lot of importance put on getting to know a person. For that reason, you should always include a recent photo on your CV.

Include:

Photo
Your name
Date of birth
Sex, nationality (ex. Female American Citizen or Female, American, Native Speaker)
Phone number
Email
Work / Teaching Experience
Education
Conferences / Workshops given
Conferences / Workshops attended
Professional Affiliations
Other Skills (languages / computer)
Hobbies (optional)

There’s no reason to include scanned copies of documents such as a passport, degree or reference letters unless asked to do so.

Useful CV Websites

CV Tips
Teaching CVs
Purdue Guide
Free Resume Tips

Shortly Before Arriving

A few weeks before you plan on coming, re-email schools in order to touch base and confirm your interview.

About the author

Sharon K Couzens de Hinojosa is the creator and writer for TEFL Tips, The LA Job List, and The Ultimate Peru List. She enjoys answering people’s questions about TEFLing and Peru.